Hands-on: Agent Under Fire

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Is the GCN version of EA's James Bond effort any different from the PS2 one? We tell it straight.

By mattc

Earlier today IGNcube had the chance to play the first several levels of Electronic Arts' James Bond 007 in... Agent Under Fire for GameCube. The title, a port of the already-released PlayStation 2 game, has seen some slight improvements, which have been detailed in our write-up below.

Agent Under Fire is a formulaic 3D first-person shooter set to the backdrop of the Bond universe. This is not a bad thing -- merely a truth. Indeed, while the title borrows elements from many shooters before it, the title also serves up enough action and variations to keep the play somewhat fresh.

We played several levels of the GameCube version, starting at the very beginning. Immediately noticeable were improved load times, cut in half by our estimates -- not a major difference, but for the geeks (see: us), it's noteworthy.

The action starts after a quick cut-scene that explains the storyline. Bond finds himself in the front of a two-story building and has the option to use one of his gadgets -- a "Q claw" -- and hook to the upper level, or merely go through the front door and start fighting. The control, with left analog used for moving and turning and right for strafing and aiming, takes some initial getting used to, but shooter aficionados will quickly have it down. Selection of weapons and gadgets is conveniently mapped to the D-Pad -- left / right for gadgets and up / down for weapons. The drawback here is that with only two thumbs, it's impossible to quickly select a weapon or gadget without neglecting movement or aim. But there are other control schemes available for players who simply cannot have that. In the meanwhile, L targets, R shoots, Y jumps, X crouches, and B is used as the action key; it opens doors, shoots gadgets, etc. This is all fairly basic stuff and it works well enough here.

One of the automatic weapons Bond acquires

The speed of Agent Under Fire is impressive. Bond can move to and from with ease, up and down corridors, through elevators and shafts, and it's all done very fast -- with a fluidity that rarely stutters from 60 frames per second. The GameCube version has a marginal edge over its PS2 predecessor so far as the framerate is concerned. The title features big environments with moderate amounts of geometry, and a respectable degree of texture definition. The first stage has rooms filled with unintelligent guards who jump out to be shot, but it's fun. There are also a healthy selection of crates and explosive barrels so that gamers can take out a group of bad guys with a well placed shot to a flammable container. This -- none of it, is new or refreshing, but it's enjoyable regardless.

As the levels progress, Bond eventually acquires new weapons and gadgets. There are automatics that spray bullets at enemies, sniper rifles that can be used to tune into a foe from a distance and take him or her out with the press of a trigger, grenades, and even missile launchers. On the gadget side, Bond can use lasers to cut through traps and doors, or goggles that detect invisible areas and alarms. It's because of these elements that some areas require stealth over everything else; in one of these levels, if guards spot Bond they will sound an alarm and the mission will be failed. Remind anyone of GoldenEye?

The sniper rifle in action

What truly does separate Agent Under Fire from Rare's effort is that it also features different play styles. There is a stage in which players are guided along a full city and must, as Bond, shoot at enemies from the sunroof of a moving vehicle. As the car, driven by the spy's female companion, spins and turns corners, opposing vehicles give chase and enemies try to shoot at the hero. Unloading a round of bullets into an oncoming enemy van may not be enough if players aren't smart about -- some cars have protective shielding and therefore only their tires are vulnerable to gunfire. The action is fast and well scripted, and the variation in building design and cars is impressive. It feels very arcade-like, which comes as a welcomed breather from, say, a lot of gadget-oriented stealth missions.

Breaking up the action even more, there are levels in which players must actually drive Bond's car through the city, ramming into enemies, destroying objects and picking up special items to continue. The car physics quite triumphantly mimic the real thing, and the control setup is specially designed to take advantage of the different play style.

Topping everything off is a multiplayer mode that proves to deliver a decent amount of fun. More importantly, perhaps, to GameCube owners is the new inclusion of enemy bots -- up to three in any level -- which will attack more aggressively and appear to think like a human opponent. This, a standard addition to many shooters for years, works wonders to extend replay value.

So the verdict? Agent Under Fire for GameCube is definitely a port -- there hasn't been an extended list of changes made over the PS2 original. But on Sony's console it was a competent 3D first-person shooter that has, at least, been slightly polished as it transitions to Nintendo's next-generation system. The shooter control scheme feels better and more intuitive with GameCube's pad, the framerate has come under tighter strains, and the inclusion of multiplayer AI bots goes a long way.

Insiders: We have updated our preview of the game with 12 exclusive new movies of the GameCube version in action. Definitely check them out for a look at what's to come. Click here to see the movies.